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FSF's "Defective By Design" Targets Apple Genius Bars
mjasay writes "At OSCON this year, MySQL's Brian Aker made this bold statement: 'Microsoft is irrelevant ... We're more worried about Apple.' The Free Software Foundation appears to have caught the hint, and has turned its attention to all-things-Apple with a 'denial of service' attack on the Apple Genius Bars. The idea is to completely book all Genius Bars and then ask the 'geniuses,' over and over again, a few questions about Apple's proprietary ways (while, apparently, real customers with support issues are left to flounder). Lost in this anti-Apple fervor, however, is the Free Software Foundation's complete and conscious failure to protect the web. Richard Stallman has long felt that software that doesn't sit on his desktop doesn't affect his freedom, but isn't the opposite true? Why is the FSF focused on Apple when the bigger concern should be Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, and other web players, a point made by Tim O'Reilly recently at OSCON?" Defective by Design is just one of many FSF projects, remember; it hardly seems fair to say that the FSF has been ignoring the implications of software as a service.
I don't care what you think about Apple or the FSF's goals, but this is blatant harassment and possibly borderline terrorism.
Maybe Apple should have guards outside every Apple store requiring everyone who enters to sign an oath swearing under penalty of perjury that they are not associated with the FSF.
I hope Apple sues the FSF into the ground for this.
I support the Center for Consumer Freedom
Thank you for being honest and pointing out that "genious" is a misnomer at the mac store. Corporate Pawn would be a much more accurate job title.
Ogg Vorbis support costs money.
It costs money to build the code, maintain the code and it is a waste of consumers basically never use the software.
That's money that could be used to get an engineer to do say, bug fixes. Ogg vorbis is irrelevant.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
Shitty logic like this is the cancer that has killed the US political system.
"Oh, I like Badnarik, but I'm going to vote for Kerry because he's got a better chance of winning because he's NotBush(TM). I can ignore the part where I don't know anything about Kerry or wouldn't support him if I did simply because he's NotBush(TM)."
Maybe politics and software would both be much better off if assholes like you would stop supporting the lesser of two evils. Evil still wins. Try supporting a non-evil option and see how that works out instead of picking one evil over the other and bitching that you've still got evil.
But John Sullivan (Hi John!) is the manager of operations at the FSF.
Perhaps Sully's name and contact information should be sent to Apple's legal department.
He is a ringleader of a group conspiring to commit harassment and fraud against Apple. I'm sure they'd like to know who's behind this, so they can press charges.
I support the Center for Consumer Freedom
Apple has "Genius Bars," Best Buy has "Geek Squad" and a painted Volkswagen. It's just a cute little name for something that is, fundamentally, really boring.
and just the fact that Apple has something called "Genius Bars" for Mac users reinforces my commitment not to use Apple products.
"Damn those companies that offer technical support! I won't buy from any company that actually stands by their products after purchase, the bastards!"
People on Slashdot say weird stuff.
I admit that the problem is mine and not Apple's.
No kidding, wackjob.
It's just that everything about Apple's approach to marketing their products creeps me out and causes me to experience an anxious nausea whenever I come into contact with their products or with dedicated users of their products. It's hard to bask in the cultural phenomenon that is Apple when you're nauseous.
Maybe you should see a doctor about that.
Comment of the year
"By the way, as a costumer, all other things equal, why would you choose proprietary device/software over free one?"
WOW! As a costumer, I sure would like free patterns and fabric and threads! Boy Howdy!
However, as a consumer, maybe a proprietary device or application I want works with no smelly linux hippie bullshit.
My ancient iPod plays MP3 files JUST FUCKING FINE! I don't give two tugs of a dead dog's cock about your fucking OGG VORBIS codec. And frankly, neither do the vast majority of people who use the iPod or any other MP3 player.
If I choose to buy something from the iTunes Store, then it's MY choice to FREELY do so, and that choice doesn't affect you or harm YOU or impinge on YOUR freedom and YOUR free choices in hardware or software in any way shape or form.
The implication that YOU know what's better for me than I do is just another example of the smelly linux hippie bullshit that Stallman and FSF have been peddling for years.
I plug my ancient iPod into my Mac, and everything syncs up without a single problem. I don't have to config it. And then have to write some shell scripts. Update my RPMs. Or have to partition my drives. And patch the kernel. And compile my binaries or check my version dependencies.
It works without that bullshit. As does pretty much every other Mac application I use.
Apple did not design the MAC OS for you!
You are not the target audience for MAC OS.
You have NEVER been the target audience for MAC OS.
You will NEVER be the target audience for MAC OS.
SO go jerk off on your fucking penguin.
Again!
The grownups grow weary of your "LOOK AT ME! WHY DON'T YOU LOOK AT MEEEEEEE!" bullshit childish tantrums.
Guaranteed! This comment 100% Anthrax free!
There is a big difference between an automobile or an iPod Shuffle, and an iPhone or iPod Touch. The iPhone/iPod Touch are designed to allow arbitrary third-party software. Apple then added an additional lock-and-key system so that only Apple-approved software will be accepted by the device.
Your shuffle probably has no such restrictions, there are just no tools available to write software for it. The iPhone and iPod Touch have all the tools available free for anyone to download, but then you have to pay Apple a fee for the privilege of loading the results onto your own device.
If you mod me Overrated, you are admitting that you have no penis.
Yes. How about Apple paying for people who go to Linux FAQs and rant around there?
Historically, most fascism has come from the Left. Who is it who's more often trying to micromanage your life--telling you what to drive, what to eat, where and how to live, what to think, etc.?
20 January 2017: the End of an Error.